Two killed, five wounded in South attacks

PATTANI, Jan 20 - Two villagers were shot dead, while five rangers were wounded in a bomb ambush in the insurgency-plagued southern border provinces of Pattani and Narathiwat.

The slain villagers, identified as Toom Lekpetch, 50, and Klong Boonkan, 46, were gunned down in Nong Chik district of Pattani province this morning, while buying goods at a Ban Tha Kubo flea market in Pulo Puyo sub-district.

The initial police investigation found that Mrs Toom was an older sister of a local village chief. The body of Mr Klong was found a 100 metres away after he was shot dead while travelling on a motorbike from his home to the market. Police believe the attack was carried out by insurgents.

Meanwhile, a home-made bomb was detonated using a mobile communication device when a team of twelve rangers from Ranger Task Force 4810 was on foot patrol near Ban Chuwa School in Marubo Ok sub-district in Narathiwat's Cho Airong district.

The explosion,which occurred about 10am, wounded five rangers, one seriously. They were admitted to Cho Airong Hospital and have now been transferred to Narathiwat Ratchanakarin Hospital.